Jiang Xulian, 39, confessed to Thai police immediately after her crime was exposed by the scan, which showed the jewel lodged in her large intestine A thief who swallowed a £180,000 diamond she stole from a jewel fair was caught out by an X-ray scan. Jiang Xulian, 39, confessed to Thai police immediately after her crime was exposed by the scan, which showed the jewel lodged in her large intestine. Cops took her to hospital to get the six-carat diamond out in an eye-watering procedure using pliers. The operation was necessary because a dose of laxatives failed to dislodge the gem. Jiang and her accomplice Hae Ying, 34, switched a fake diamond for the real thing when they inspected it at the Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair. The vendor went to police, who used CCTV footage to track the pair down, reports the Bangkok Post. They claimed they were tourists and were about to return home, but police asked them to have an X-ray, and their scam was exposed. Jiang was taken to hospital because she refused to eat and would only drink water. The diamond’s owner identified the stone after it was removed. And presumably washed. Smugglers frequently swallow contraband to smuggle it past customs officials at airports. They usually smuggle high-value drugs like cocaine, but jewels have been hidden this way in the past. Source
